We've been getting a lot of new subs over the last few days, so first let me say: welcome to /r/Battletech! This is the general sub for all things related to the Battletech IP: the universe, the lore, the tabletop game, the classic pen-and-paper RPGs, and all Battletech/Mechwarrior video games.

If you're looking for specific chat related to the recently-released PC game by Harebrained Schemes, make sure you head over to /r/BattletechGame , the official subreddit of the PC game. Bug reports and technical help will be WAY easier to resolve over there than they are here, as HBS staff also moderate that subreddit.

The sidebar will be updated later today with some new helpful information, which should point newcomers in the right direction and make sure everyone's on the same page!

I have always wondered what a battletech universe would be like if one the successor states stayed neutral during the succession wars. I base this premise on one of the house leaders having a vision of the wanton death and destruction the war would bring to his or her nation and decided not to participate. Instead of declaring war, this particular house leader would strive to preserve their starleague tech and improve upon it by ensuring the knowledge would not be lost to war. I know this particular nation would eventually be attacked by the remaining states, but this nation would have an edge upon the rest who have lost technology due to war. Just a thought, do not know if this would even be viable.

So, he is the issue I'm having. I am building the Gray Death Legion. I believe they are mostly hover/wheeled Mechanized, except for the Anti-Mech Commandos. The issues are...
A) the BV difference between the Mul and Mech Factory app for the same unit. By default Mul is official so I plan to use those values.
B) its assumed mechanized infantry has attached transports, correct? If so, what transports? If I am purchasing these models how many do I need? It would appears that the 24 tons of weight the mechanized infantry has is partially the transport.
C) So when I'm making Alpha Strike cards do I just ignore the bv/pv/weight? Because even the primative APC which only holds 1 ton of transport space weights 10 tons itself. Even if I assume 20 tons of the 24 tons of the infantry right is transport I'm still short by 2 Transports. I could used a heavy apc which is 20 tons but can hold 6 tons of cargo.
D) Help the Gray Death Legion not have to walk to the battlefield.

*got it figured out. The attached transport the mechanized infantry get is generic unarmed/unarmored transports. Humvees, Jeeps, etc. You can attach something else but it adds bv/pv/$, etc.

Location: Grim Dark games in the "Wonderland of the Americas" mall of San Antonio

Final thoughts: I was along for the ride. My preference is CBT, lance on lance, and the largest game we'd done previously in Alpha Strike was about a 24 vs 24 vs 24 with mixed military. We typically cut games off at 5 turns and knew that this wasn't going to happen with the larger Regiment vs Regiment. All in all, I was personally stressed from the inability to micromanage in the fashion that I typically prefer and the relatively large, noisy crowd. However, there was a surprising lack of "blob warfare" - which is what I wholly thought the game would devolve to.

Instead, there was plenty of strategy to be had via picking artillery targets with specialty ammo (cluster, smoke, arrow IV), VTOL/Aerospace strike formations; a Union class dropship was a tactical asset on this board; we had strategic air drops, a cruise missile battery (a lot of hoopla over very little worth), dug-in infantry knife fights atop key buildings/obstacles, dynamically crumbling infrastructure, C3 networks to deconstruct, infiltrator units on the board, and even LAMs had their [rare] day in the sun (before being summarily smashed).

Looking back, I'm definitely glad I participated though there is no way in hell I'd do it again. This was a once-in-a-lifetime battle, as our fearless Alpha Strike leader had [and will] continue to assert.

What's one rule change (or addition) (or other option) that would make the Beginner Boxed set more 'balanced' / a better play experience for 3025 robot v. robot action, especially for new players? Favor changes that (1) provide the most improvement with least overhead (2) already exist elsewhere / don't effect other materials.

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e.g.

- Set ammo level before match, e.g. Machine Gun ammo bin can be set to 12 rounds instead of 200. (Easy, creates a meaningful pre-game decision, removes some death-trap-ish-ness from some designs).

- Every player gets 1 'Edge' (per mech?) to force a re-roll. (Easy and can mitigate feel-bad head shot kills that are pretty rude for new players.)

I’m still new to Battletech, but have found a playgroup at a local cardshop who let people use their supplies (like minis, dice, and sheets, etc.), so I’m going to be going to that a lot.. but I’m a rather creative soul so I wanted to make a 3D battlefield like the CGL guys had at Mech Con.

Any suggestions on what to and what not to do when making this map? It’s going to be 2 (paper) maps worth of size, about 2’ by 3’ in play space.

For this FFF, we're going a little bit meta: what are your ideas for making Battletech more accessible and fun for new players? This week, think about designs that are relatively straightforward and yet at the same time useful for teaching new players about heat curves, jump maneuvering, and other key mechanics of the Battletech game.